Local musician and band star in new Old Spice soap ad

More Information

'Try it' live

What: The group Fernando Tarango and the Wickersham Bros. will perform “Just Sing” and other new songs during the Lakeside Fall Concert in Lakeside Park. Also performing will be Hope Arthur & Friends and Jon Durnell.

When: 3-6 p.m. Sunday

Where: Lakeside Park, Lake Avenue and Forest Park Boulevard.

Cost: Free; bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating.

Other news

•Fernando Tarango and the Wickersham Bros. hope to release the song “Just Sing” as a single by Oct. 1. The band plans to release a CD of five new songs Nov. 9.

•For a link to the Old Spice “Try it & Love it” commercial and to hear snippets from the band and previous Tarango recordings, go to www.fernandotarango.com.

For local musician Fernando Tarango, the toughest part about starring in an Old Spice soap ad was holding the soap bar the right way.

He had to have the correct angle, correct position of his hand and fingers, and correct speed with which he raised the hand.

“We probably did it 15 times,” he said.

But the crew from video production company RezFX Productions of Fort Wayne eventually got the shots they wanted. You can see the result at http://pgtryit.com. Click on the photo of Tarango with the heading “Old Spice Pure Sport Bar Soap keeps musician Fernando fresh,” and then scroll down to the video player.

The ad is one of eight, 60-second “Try it & Love it” ads RezFX is shooting for Procter & Gamble of Cincinnati. The commercials highlight products within P&G brands ranging from Old Spice and CoverGirl to Pantene and Bounty, a RezFX news release said.

Four ads are running now on http://pgtryit.com and as 15-second spots before YouTube videos, on other websites and on social media, the news release said.

Each of the ads features local actors or consumers talking about why they like that product. The ads were shot in downtown Fort Wayne, Lakeside Park, C2G Music Hall and other local sites.

Viewers of the ads also will see an unintended story unfolding: In the Old Spice ad, Tarango's then-fiancee, Lanah Hake, hugs him after his performance at BuskerFest downtown June 29. She also stars in an upcoming “Try it & Love it” ad for Olay beauty products, including some footage in her wedding dress (they married last week).

Tarango, 30, a full-time musician and Bishop Luers High School graduate, said he met the key people at RezFX awhile back and has tried to help them whenever he can. That has ranged from holding cables during filming to serving as an actor in a few commercials and composing music for ads.

RezFX had just completed commercials for P&G's Gillette brand when P&G asked the company to produce the “Try it & Love it” ads, the news release said.

P&G had to approve the talent used, so RezFX sent the company a video clip of Tarango and the Wickersham Bros. performing in March at the 816 Pint & Slice restaurant downtown on Calhoun St. P&G officials liked what they saw.

In the Old Spice ad, the camera follows Tarango as he walks up a crowded downtown street to the band's performance at BuskerFest. He tells viewers Old Spice Pure Sport bar soap keeps him smelling fresh, no matter how much “jumping around” he does during a show.

The video closes with shots of him and the band performing his new song, “Just Sing,” and the after-show hug from his fiancee.

Tarango didn't have to learn a script.

“They wanted it to be pretty candid,” he said. “I tried the product, and it was pretty helpful to me.”

Further testimony: The soap bar they used during filming now resides in his guitar case. When he opens it, instead of a musty bar odor, it smells like Old Spice, he said.

Because the ad was filmed by an independent production house rather than a big ad agency, Tarango didn't get paid much, he said. He hopes it leads to bigger gigs in the future.

“Mostly, it's just about an opportunity and bragging rights,” he said, “and trying to leverage that.”